


awakening

by itsybitsyicarus



Category: Devilman (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentions of Sex, Mentions of drugs, graphic depictions of injury, it's mostly fluff tbh, this follows OVA characterization & canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-01-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:47:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22177294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsybitsyicarus/pseuds/itsybitsyicarus
Summary: “Easy, Ryo,” Akira said, trying to keep his voice steady and confident, “You’re gonna hurt yourself.  Here.”  He took the cigarette from Ryo’s fingers and was grateful that he didn’t put up a fight.  In the same movement, he lead him back onto the bed with a gentle hand on his shoulder.“What’s happening to me, Akira?”(in which satan's awakening is slow, painful, and takes place in a shitty motel room.)
Relationships: Asuka Ryo | Satan & Fudo Akira, Asuka Ryo | Satan/Fudo Akira
Comments: 21
Kudos: 345





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i'm back at it with hurt/comfort, i guess.
> 
> this follows OVA characterization & canon, meaning it takes place in the 80s. check tags for minor warnings but it isn't extremely graphic tbh.

Of all the experiments Akira has tried since getting his new body, his favorite is to see how many times he can make Ryo come in one night.

Amon’s stamina and sex drive meant that Akira could come six or seven times during a session and still feel like he could go for longer, and Ryo struggled to keep up with him. By the third time, he’d be bucking and thrashing underneath the bulk of Akira’s body. By the fourth, his begs and pleads would dissolve into nonsensical babble. The fifth and final orgasm of the night came with a scream that probably woke the whole motel. Seeing Ryo so mindlessly lost in his own pleasure was by far the hottest thing Akira has ever seen, and it was the perfect celebration for the end of their last hunt.

There were reports of lost children in a small town about two hours from Miki’s house, and Ryo’s research told them that a demon was probably responsible. The two of them booked a motel room and spent a few days on their own to figure out what was going on. Turns out that a demon had latched itself onto a woman who was struggling with postpartum depression, morphing her into an ugly, reptilian creature who ate children just to have a baby in her stomach again. After Akira took her out, he wasted no time carrying Ryo back to the motel and reducing that sharp wit into breathless pleas for mercy.

Once he felt that Ryo was properly fucked out, they rested for the night in the same bed. Akira didn’t know why Ryo even bothered getting a room with seperate beds; they only used the second one to toss their clothes onto. At least the rest of the room was nice. It sported a clean bathroom and a kitchen that was larger than most motels could offer. 

Akira must’ve only been asleep for an hour or so before Ryo wriggled his way out from underneath him and stumbled to the bathroom. Akira smirked to himself, confident that Ryo’s limp was his own doing.

His smirk disappeared when he heard labored, painful breaths fill the quiet air of the room, muffled behind the bathroom door. Instead, he started plotting an elaborate way to apologize to Ryo for pushing him too far. Maybe he’d buy their next batch of weed? Or maybe he should go for coke instead. Ryo smoked weed all the time, so coke would be more of a treat. Coke and a nice, slow blowjob should do the trick.

The sounds behind the door only got worse. Each breath was accompanied by a grunt before suddenly becoming even more muffled than before, as though Ryo had covered his mouth with his hand.

“Ryo? Babe? You doin’ alright?” Akira’s voice was heavy and low with sleep, but should’ve projected into the bathroom no problem.

He heard a breathless “Ah--” in response, which could’ve easily been either an exclamation of pain or an attempt at calling Akira’s name. 

“Baby?”

A crash, and then the sound of something dropping hard to the floor.

Any sleepiness that still lingered in Akira’s body immediately disappeared. He jolted from the bed and ran to the bathroom door, heartbeat drumming away in his ears. His adrenaline made his hands fumble a bit with the knob before he was able to swing it open. He found Ryo lying on the bathroom floor, his hands pawing at his own chest without much purchase, his pained cries getting weaker and weaker as his voice failed him.

“Ryo!” Akira knelt beside him, letting his hands fall onto Ryo’s shoulders. Both of their toothbrushes, along with a can of shaving cream and deodorant, were on the ground with them. Ryo must’ve knocked them over when he fell. “Hey, hey, Ryo, what’s going on? Tell me what hurts. Something wrong with your chest? Talk to me, baby.”

Ryo managed to look at him for only a moment, revealing bright and watery eyes that were wide with pain and confusion, before he clenched them shut again. His jaw, too, was clasped shut so tightly that no noise besides grunts and hissing breath made it past his lips.

“I couldn’t have hurt you this bad, did I? Please talk to me.”

One of the hands that was previously clawed at Ryo’s chest shot up and grabbed ahold of Akira’s shoulder, letting Ryo lift himself into Akira’s torso. Akira helped him with an arm wrapped around his back, pulling Ryo into a tight embrace. Ryo dug his fingernails into Akira’s shoulders and bit into his trapezius to keep from making more noise.

With this new vantage, Akira could see down Ryo’s back and noticed two enormous bruises right under both of Ryo’s shoulder blades. “Woah, Ryo, what--” He saw plenty of Ryo’s body only an hour ago and he definitely would’ve noticed an injury like this. How the hell could this happen?

Akira moved a hand to Ryo’s back, letting his fingertips gently explore the edges of the bruise. He felt pretty confident that the demon from earlier didn’t touch him, and there was no way that Akira did this during sex. Not unless Amon took control at some point and he didn’t notice. But even then, two bruises wouldn’t be enough to have Ryo writhing in pain like this, even if they were this big. He’s seen Ryo take worse hits with less trouble.

He didn’t have any more time to think about it before the skin under his fingertips began to pulse and… move.

“What--”

With a sickening crack of skin and bone, something burst from Ryo’s back. Akira couldn’t react before he was pushed backwards by the force of it, his shoulders hitting the bathroom wall. He managed to keep Ryo held tightly in his arms, and he summoned Amon’s strength to fight whatever had just borrowed his partner’s body. He felt his teeth sharpen, his shoulders broaden, his wings itch underneath the surface of his skin--

And immediately forced Amon back into his subconscious. The thing that just burst from Ryo’s body was a set of white, angelic wings.

Akira took a few steady breaths to keep Amon at bay while he took in his surroundings. He couldn’t sense any demons nearby, not even in Ryo, who now lay limply in his arms. Blood was sprayed all across the opposite wall of the bathroom, but all else was quiet.

“Ryo?”

Nothing.

“Ryo.” Akira jostled the body in his arms. “Hey.”

Ryo felt way too cold. Fighting down the urge to panic, Akira moved him so he could hold the back of his hand up to Ryo’s mouth. Shallow but steady breaths hit his skin. Two fingers to his neck told him that his pulse was also fine, but this temperature couldn’t possibly be natural.

Akira started rubbing his hands along Ryo’s arms, trying to make some friction. “Stay with me, okay? I’ll get you fixed up in a second.” 

His eyes darted around the room, unsure of what to do, until he noticed the shower and got an idea. He moved a hand from Ryo to reach out and turn the hot water knob for the bath. The steam rose into the cold bathroom and started fogging up the mirror. He’d use the water to help him both wash away the blood and hopefully return Ryo to a normal temperature. As the bath filled, he split his attention between controlling the temperature of the bath and rubbing his hands over Ryo’s skin. The friction didn’t seem to do much good, so he was eager to pick up his partner and slowly lower him into the water once it was ready.

Actually getting him into the bath was a much clumsier endeavor than Akira anticipated. The wings didn’t even come close to fitting, and he had to cradle Ryo’s head and shoulders the whole time to keep him from slipping below the waterline. The water itself pinkened from the amount of blood that soaked into it, and the stench nearly overwhelmed his senses. It was all worth it, though, when he saw a bit of color come back to Ryo’s face. 

And as he unthawed, he came back to life. His hands, in a slow panic, started roaming around him and landed on Akira’s shoulders. His breathing picked up in pace, wincing and hissing as his face twisted with pain. 

“You awake, baby?”

Ryo showed no signs of hearing him.

“Only sorta, huh? That’s alright. You’re okay, Ryo, just breathe through it. I got you.” 

Akira continued talking to him in a low voice as he lifted from the tub and dried him off. He took Ryo’s shivering as an improvement from the deathly stillness that seized him earlier. At least he was reacting normally to stimuli. Akira had no idea how to dress him with two giant wings shooting out of his back, so he settled on some sweatpants and decided he would work on a shirt later. Would probably have to cut some holes out of an old t-shirt if Ryo couldn’t put those things away. But that could wait for later. Akira wasted no time getting him under the bed covers in hopes of not losing any heat. 

Once settled in bed, Akira found himself fiddling with the feathers near the base of Ryo’s wings. They were soft, downy feathers that tickled his fingertips but were still a lot stronger than he anticipated. Pinching them a bit didn’t tear them out, and they didn’t leave too many fuzzy pieces behind on his hands. They also smelled like Ryo, as though they belonged here the whole time.  
With a sigh, Akira turned his attention to Ryo’s arms instead and started tracing along the muscle. It was hard to keep his anxieties at bay, but there wasn’t anything to do until Ryo was at least awake. All he could do was wait out the worst of it. And if spending the night by his side provided even the smallest bit of comfort or warmth, he’d do it.

He lifted one of Ryo’s arms and placed it over himself.


	2. Chapter 2

Akira woke the next morning with Ryo still curled against his chest. He hadn’t moved an inch overnight; his arm was still laying limply across Akira’s ribcage, his head still tucked under Akira’s chin, his breath still steady and soft on Akira’s collarbone. At least he was feeling a bit warmer, and it looked like he got some color back. 

Akira sighed and let himself melt into the bed a little. Under different circumstances, this would be the perfect morning. He had a hot guy naked in bed with him, nowhere to be, and no demons in the immediate vicinity to worry about. Excluding Amon, of course. But Amon seemed quiet this morning, as though he too was surrendering to the sleepiness that fogged the body they shared. Despite all this, the anxiety gathering in Akira’s gut started to make him restless. He found himself staring at Ryo’s new wings where they were stretched out on the bed. They were as beautiful as they were terrifying.

His anxiety peaked and he simply couldn’t bring himself to enjoy the moment anymore. With a grunt, Akira began to move. He lifted Ryo’s arm off of him and slid out of bed, which earned an irritated grunt from Ryo but little more. Akira took careful, quiet steps towards the bathroom and hopped into the shower.

His morning showers were usually his designated time to jerk off. It helped him fight off Amon’s urges throughout the day. As he stood there and felt the warm water wash over him, however, he didn’t have much of a desire to touch himself. He just wanted to get moving. He finished up quickly, got dressed, and headed to the kitchen to make some food for himself and Ryo.

Ryo still didn’t move by the time Akira left the bathroom. Akira watched him for only a moment to make sure he was still breathing before rummaging through the kitchen drawers. He couldn’t find anything he could make quickly that would be easy for Ryo to eat. He’d have to head out and get something. He heated up some tea in the meantime-- Earl Grey with milk, just how Ryo likes it.

He took the mug to the bed and set it on the nightstand. “Ryo?”

No answer.

Akira propped a knee on the bed so he could lean over his partner. He started running his fingers through his blonde hair and nuzzling playfully into the crook of his neck. Normally this ritual was performed in reverse; Akira could be a heavy sleeper and Ryo usually found some endearing way to wake him. “Baby? You awake?” 

Ryo sighed and tensed his shoulders in response to Akira’s touch, but he didn’t seem conscious. “Hey, Ryo. Hey.”

“Mm?” 

“I’m gonna go to the store and get us some food, but I won’t be long. I left your tea on the nightstand. You should drink it while it’s hot. Okay?”

No response. Akira took Ryo’s jaw in his hand and turned him so he could see his face. “Can you look at me?” Akira asked quietly.

After a moment, Ryo obeyed him. It took him awhile to get his eyes to focus, and Akira wondered for a moment if he somehow hit his head in the chaos last night. He’d check for bumps later.

“Hey there, angelface,” Akira said, “I’m gonna get breakfast, okay? I won’t be long.”

“Where…?”

“Just from the store.” 

Slowly, Ryo’s eyes fell closed again. Akira rubbed a thumb along his jawline. “Hey, stay with me, baby.”

Without opening his eyes, Ryo let out a long breath and let his hands wander over Akira’s shoulders. His grip seemed weak. “My father’s money,” he mumbled.

“Huh?”

“My father’s money. In the small pouch inside my suitcase.”

“You want me to use that? You’re sure?”

“It’s groceries. It won’t even make a dent. Of course I’m sure.”

Akira raised his hands in mock-surrender, secretly a little happy that Ryo had enough energy to give him sass. “Alright, alright,” he said as he headed towards the suitcase on the empty bed. 

“Car keys are on the kitchen table,” Ryo said.

“I-- You’ll let me drive that?”

Ryo propped himself up on an elbow just so he could give Akira an incredulous look, which was only slightly softened by the heaviness in his eyes, “What else are you gonna do?”

“Fly?”

“Just take the car, Akira.”

“Gladly. That thing’s sweet.” Akira quickly tied his shoes, “You’ll be okay while I’m gone?”

Silence. When Akira looked back towards the bed, it seemed like Ryo was already sound asleep again. The anxious knot in Akira’s stomach came back. Ryo usually struggled to sleep; this was unlike him. He made an oath to himself to drive as quickly as he could.

\--

Every minute away from the motel was torture on his nerves. His mood must’ve been pretty visible to the people at the store, too, because everyone moved out of his way without question as he stormed through the aisles. He mostly bought soups and other simple foods in hopes of not spending much time in the kitchen. He’d rather give all his attention to Ryo. 

The cashier didn’t try to make conversation, which Akira appreciated. He jogged back to the car and drove 60mph on his way back to the motel.

\--

“I’m back, Ryo!” Akira exclaimed as he kicked open the door, “You must be so excited to see all the boring food I just bought! We got ourselves lots of soup, lots of bread,” he made towards the kitchen table and started putting his bags down, “cheese, lunch meats. We’re gonna have sandwiches for days.”

He put the milk and cheese right into the fridge. “I didn’t actually use much of Dr. Asuka’s money. Want me to put the rest of it back in your suitcase?”

No answer. Just the same silence that had him tense and nervous all morning.

“Ryo?”

He turned the corner and his senses were assaulted by the overwhelming, coppery stench of blood. Immediately all of his thoughts turned to panic, his mind freezing and losing all function. On the bed was Ryo, facedown and unconscious, laying atop a mess of blankets that were nearly torn to bits. Blood soaked into the fabric, dripping from a second set of wings that sprouted directly below the first on Ryo’s back.

It took everything in Akira’s power not to drop to his knees in shock. Instead, he turned the motion into a lunge towards the bed.

“Ryo! Ryo-- oh, god--” 

He landed a hand on Ryo’s shoulder and rolled him on his side. He was breathing (thank god, thank god--) but he was cold and pale, just like before. This new set of wings didn’t seem to be bleeding anymore, though the feathers still dripped. Akira would worry about the mess later. For now, he prioritized getting Ryo’s body to feel less like a corpse. “Okay, alright,” Akira said breathlessly, mostly in an attempt to keep calm, “Let’s get you warmed up. C’mere.”

In an easy motion, Akira lifted Ryo and moved him to the second, unoccupied bed that wasn’t ripped to ribbons or soaked with blood. He wrapped Ryo in the covers and settled in beside him, rubbing his arms and back to create friction and warmth while hopefully helping his circulation. On closer inspection, it looked like Ryo’s hands were already grey. He must’ve been lying there freezing for quite some time.

“I’m sorry,” Akira said in a low voice, his eyes squeezed tight as he wrapped himself around Ryo, “I’m so sorry. I’ll never leave again, okay? I’m all yours until we figure this out.”

\--

Akira was woken up by the sound of Ryo shifting on the bed and a feathery wing pegging him right him in the face. He didn’t remember falling asleep, but he must’ve passed out while trying to soothe Ryo. The sun was low in the sky, filling the motel with deep shadows and pinkish tones. 

“Mm--” Akira moaned, forcing his eyes open. He watched Ryo maneuver himself onto the edge of the bed, letting his feet touch the floor. A pale, shaky hand reached for the cigarettes on the nightstand. All four of his wings twitched and stretched behind him, the joints popping a bit with the movement. Ryo didn’t seem to notice that he just nailed Akira in the nose with one of them.

Akira pushed himself up and sat beside Ryo, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You’re awake.”

“Barely.” Ryo replied. His voice was hoarse. “I’m exhausted.”

Ryo brought a cigarette to his lips, inhaled, and then reached a hand to Akira’s face. With three fingers, he gently cradled Akira’s jaw and directed him until their lips were barely an inch apart. Akira carefully timed his inhale with Ryo’s exhale, expertly shotgunning the hit. He could taste the earthy undertone of weed, which Ryo rolled into each of his cigarettes. It was an easy way to get high while also satisfying his nicotine addiction.

Ryo savored the hit, letting his eyes stay closed until Akira finished his breath. He did this when he was nervous. It was like he was seeking as much comfort as he could from the simple process of inhale and exhale. 

“You’re shaking.” Akira said. “You should lay down.”

Ryo kept eye contact for a moment before turning his gaze towards the empty bed beside them. The one that was still caked in blood and ripped to bits. Akira cringed to himself and wished he was able to clean that up before Ryo saw it.

“I’m guessing I did that.” Ryo said.

“You don’t remember?”

Ryo’s brow furrowed as he searched his memory. “We fucked on that bed, right? Not this one.”

“Right. We slept on that bed afterwards, too. Remember? You ran to the bathroom in the middle of the night and that’s where first set of wings grew. I took care of you and brought you back to that bed. But then the next set grew--” 

“I only remember falling asleep. I thought all the wings grew at the same time.”

“So you don’t remember this morning? When I went to the store?”

“No, I--” Ryo’s hands fiddled with the cigarette, “I don’t. Akira--” 

Ryo interrupted himself by bringing the cigarette to his lips and taking a bigger hit. He grabbed Akira’s jaw with a little more force this time and led him to shotgun it again, which Akira did obediently. Then came another hit. And then another. Akira could feel the hand on his jaw shaking more and more, and Ryo’s hits were becoming smaller as he struggled to control his own breath. He was panicking. At the third hit, Akira didn’t inhale. He just let the smoke ride along his cheeks and float into the empty air of the motel. 

“Easy, Ryo,” Akira said, trying to keep his voice steady and confident, “You’re gonna hurt yourself. Here.” He took the cigarette from Ryo’s fingers and was grateful that he didn’t put up a fight. In the same movement, he lead him back onto the bed with a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

“What’s happening to me, Akira?”

Akira’s heart dropped to his stomach. He couldn’t answer that. He’s seen all sorts of possessions and transformations, but none are ever as slow and painful as this. Even when his own demonic wings sprout from his back, there’s a slight ripping of flesh and then the pain is immediately replaced by Amon’s instinct and power. He isn’t left as a cold, quivering mess. Whatever this was, it was something the two of them have never seen before.

Ryo looked up at him with bright, dilated eyes. He was clearly affected by that quick succession of hits, but beyond the high was a genuine fear. 

“I’m not sure, but whatever’s going on, we’ll figure it out. Okay?” He looked down at Ryo, seeing the way his blonde hair haloed his head, “But if you’re tired, you should rest. We’ll work on it later.”

“The demon we took down just now was reptilian. Not a single sign of bird characteristics on her. This must be unrelated to our last hunt.”

“Right.”

“How have I reacted to each growth?”

“Well, you… You, uh, you’re in a lot of pain each time it happens. And then you’re unconscious for a while and you’re cold as stone. Then you sleep for a long time. A real heavy sleep.”

“And now my memory is bunk.”

“Uh-huh.”

“That’s unusual for a possession. Even compared to yours.”

“And mine was pretty unusual.”

“Exactly.”

Akira rubbed a hand on his own brow. There goes Ryo, trying to think logically when he’s just had four hits in a minute. “Later, I’ll show you how I put my wings away and we’ll see if you can do it, too.”

“Yes! We can--”

“After you’ve slept a bit.”

Ryo blinked at him before his lips curled into a smile. “Deal.”

It didn’t take long for Ryo to fall victim to his own exhaustion. Within ten minutes, his face fell slack and his breathing evened out into slow, steady rhythm. Ryo sometimes twitched in his sleep; especially his hands, which would curl into themselves as though grabbing something invisible. Akira had fond memories of cuddling with him through the night and being woken up when his shoulder blades are suddenly in a tender but strong grip. Akira noticed that the wings twitched a bit, too. The joints fluttered a bit and sometimes even folded around Ryo’s body, protecting him.

Eventually, the sun dropped past the horizon, and Akira turned on the night lamp to help fight back the darkness. He wanted to make some food before they went a full day without eating, and he was determined to clean up that bed, but he first turned to Ryo where he lay and let a few whispered words leave his lips.

“Whatever sort of creature you are,” he said, “I’m begging you not to take him from me.”

Ryo didn’t answer. He just kept breathing in his sleepy, set rhythm, and Akira decided that was enough for now.


	3. Chapter 3

Amon was dead silent. His absence was such a weird feeling that Akira woke with a start and quickly examined his own body to make sure he hasn’t shrunk down to his non-possessed state. An index finger to one of his fangs told him that he was just the same as when he fell asleep, however. Ryo hadn’t moved at all, either. He was still curled comfortably on his side, safe and warm.

With a sigh, Akira headed off to the shower and, again, felt no desire to jerk himself off. 

Afterwards, he made toast and tea (Earl grey with milk, as usual) and headed to the bed to begin the usual struggle of waking Ryo. He started by threading his fingers into his hair and scratching his scalp a little, which earned him a soft grunt in response. “Good morning, angel,” he said, “I made your tea.”

Ryo arched his back in a cat-like stretch, and his four wings extended to their full breadth in response. Akira heard a number of joints pop and snap, but as soon as the stretch was completed, Ryo fell limp again. Fast asleep.

Akira changed strategies and tried running his palms along Ryo’s neck and collarbone and peppering a few kisses all along his face. His forehead, his cheeks, his temple. “C’mon babe, come back to me,” his voice was playful, “After you eat, I’ll show you how I put my wings away. Like I promised I would.” 

Ryo managed to raise a hand and place it on Akira’s cheek. “Akira?”

“Mm-hmm.” 

“Akira.”

“I’m here, baby.”

Ryo finally opened his eyes, and, after a moment, found Akira’s. “I keep having these dreams,” he said.

“Yeah? What sort of dreams?” He slid a hand under Ryo’s back and lifted him into a seated position. Ryo’s head lulled forward at first, clearly still half-asleep, and his forehead landed in the crook of Akira’s neck. Akira let it stay there as Ryo pulled himself back to the waking world.

"They never make much sense," he said, "I'm always interacting with something that has really strange anatomy. This time, it was a creature made mostly of eyes. I was running my fingers along the flesh between each eye and it purred like a cat. I think something was different about my hand. Was I… shining?"

"Huh. Sounds kinda demonic. Did you recognize it from anywhere?"

Ryo finally lifted his head on his own and rubbed his forehead. "No. It was familiar, but I don't remember it."

"Hm." Akira offered Ryo the teacup and held it steady as Ryo wrapped his fingers around it. It took him some time to actually cradle it in both hands, and even then, his grip was weak. Concerned, Akira said, "Did you hit your head when you fell in the bathroom? I had a concussion in middle school. Any headaches?"

"I… don't remember. No headaches, though. I'm just tired."

As Ryo took his first sips of tea, Akira put his hands back into Ryo's hair and rubbed his scalp just like before, but this time a bit more thoroughly to feel for bumps. He even dipped his fingers down to the back of Ryo's neck, but didn't feel so much as a scratch. Ryo's blue eyes were locked on Akira's face the whole time, watching how his brow furrowed in concentration. He chuckled into his teacup.

"What?" Akira asked.

"You're handsome."

Akira couldn't hide his smile. He interrupted Ryo's sip of tea to claim his lips for himself, and he could taste the Earl Grey that lingered there.  
As the two of them finished up their breakfast, Ryo broke the silence with a quiet question. "How's Amon been these days?"

"Quiet, actually. Why?"

"We haven't had sex in a while. I expected that kiss to have a bit more bite to it." 

Akira let out a deep, hearty laugh. "Well, me too, actually. I mean it when I say he's been quiet. It sorta scared me this morning."

"Scared you?"

"Well, yeah. I've gotten so used to having his instincts screaming at me all the time that I don't know what to do when he's gone."

Ryo raised an eyebrow. "I hope you're not lying."

"Huh?"

"If you're hiding your urges because you don't wanna hurt me--"

"What? No! You know I'm a shit liar. If I needed to fuck you, you'd know." 

"Akira--"

"Nope! Nope, not another word. I'll gladly pin you to this mattress once you're all healed up but for now I'm glad Amon is keeping his dirty maw shut."

Ryo set his plate on the bedside table so he could throw his arms over Akira’s shoulders and pull him into another kiss. This one was longer and deeper, but still not explicitly suggestive. It was the kind of kiss Ryo used to invite Akira for more, and it was up to him to decide how far to go. Most of the time, Amon made the decision for him. But Amon wasn’t around, so Akira decided to stay at a slow pace, even when Ryo fell backwards onto the bed and brought Akira down with him. Even when Ryo’s hand slipped under Akira’s t-shirt. Even when Ryo made that little hum in the back of his throat that drove him mad.

Akira broke the kiss. “You’re a vixen.”

Ryo smiled. “And you’re definitely telling the truth.” He unwrapped himself from Akira. “Well. I guess you promised to show me how you handle your wings.”

“I did.” 

Akira lifted his partner into a seated position again. Reaching behind his neck, he tugged his own t-shirt off. No need to ruin a perfect good shirt during a wing demonstration. He tossed it onto the unused bed beside them, which was thankfully clean now, and focused on summoning his wings.

Nothing. No tearing of skin, no surge of power. Nothing at all. Ryo watched him, waiting.

He tried again.

Ah, there we go. With a slight twinge of pain as his flesh split, Akira felt his thin, bat-like wings burst through the scars on his shoulders. They unfolded into the empty space of the motel room, carefully avoiding the lamps and the ceiling fan. 

The two men paused for a moment as the dichotomy between them became painfully unignorable. Ryo, with his pale skin and his pair of white wings, shifted slightly as he observed Akira’s dark skin and demonic wings.

Akira grinned. “I’ll show you how I summon my wings later, but first we need to put them away. It’s actually pretty simple, the trick is to just push past the mental barrier telling you that you can’t do it.”

“Alright.” Ryo said, “How’s it done?”

“For starters, just fold your wings against your back normally.” 

Akira demonstrated by folding his. Being as thin as they were, they could fold very tightly against his back with very little effort. Ryo watched the movement and released a huff of breath. Slowly, the gunman began moving his own pair of wings, but the movement was twitchy and awkward. Ryo’s face tightened as well, clearly in pain.

Akira noticed. “Are they sore?”

“A little. It’s not bad.”

“Well, don’t push yourself. We can always try later.”

“It’s not bad,” Ryo repeated. With a few more shuffles and twitches, he wrestled his wings into place behind him. They were layered atop one another, such that the lower pair was almost hidden underneath the feathers of the larger, top pair. 

“Alright.” Akira continued, “This is where that mental barrier comes in. Even though they’re already folded, just keep folding them more. It’ll feel like you can’t do it, but you can push them back until they’re gone.”

“Oh. I think I understand.”

Ryo folded his wings a little tighter.

“Right,” Akira said, “So now, just--”

Immediately, both pairs of wings disappeared.

“Oh. You’re, uh,” Akira felt a bit of a blush rise to his cheeks, “You’re good at that.”

Ryo seemed to have surprised himself a bit, too. He stretched and rolled his shoulders, a bit startled by the sudden lightness. When he twisted his torso a bit, Akira could see four thin scars left along the middle of Ryo’s back, not unlike the scars that Akira himself had. He hoped this meant that calling the wings forth again wouldn’t be as painful as growing them in. 

“That’s a relief,” Ryo said, “I was worried I wouldn’t be able to do it.”

“Me too.” Akira put away his own wings as well. They made a harsh rustling sound as he did. “I’m not sure we could’ve hidden them under that trenchcoat of yours.”

Ryo laughed, and the sound put Akira at ease. “I was about to fear for my shirts.”

“That’s right! We can get you into some comfy sweaters now. That’ll be nice.” Akira reached around to feel the scars on Ryo’s back. They were slightly raised and a bit dry, like most scars, but they seemed to have sealed up nicely. “How’s it feel?”

“Better. Still a bit sore, but it’s better without that weight pulling on me.” He lowered his voice a bit, “But now I’m drained.”

“That tired you out?”

“Does that happen to you?”

“Not at all.” Akira led Ryo back onto the mattress, “Well, tell you what. Why don’t you rest a bit more and I’ll wake you up for dinner. I wanna do laundry and some other boring stuff anyway.”

Ryo closed his eyes and let himself rest against the pillows. “I’ve reduced a demon to my personal housemaid.”

“Amon will get over it. Sleep, okay?”

Ryo didn’t even stay awake for long enough to answer. His breath was already softened and even. Of everything that’s happened, Akira worried the most about this extreme fatigue that seemed to take hold of his partner. He could handle wings and blood sprays and sore muscles, but he needed Ryo to be present and awake for them to work together like they always do. 

Akira swallowed down his nerves and headed towards the laundry bin in the bathroom. Once he had some clean clothes to put Ryo in, he’d be sure to put him in the biggest, softest sweater they had.

\--

The motel’s laundry room was a bit dusty, but Akira’s used much grosser facilities since he’s started going on demon hunts. At least it was empty. He didn’t need a repeat of the last incident, when a lady wouldn’t stop staring at him while he was minding his own business and washing his jeans, not realizing that his tail was out the whole time.

While he waited for laundry, he went to the main desk and paid the clerk for a few extra nights in their room. He was understanding and didn’t ask too many questions. Akira decided not to mention the bloody bedsheets or the feather or two that still lingered on the floor.

With 45 minutes left before laundry was done, he decided to check out the motel’s gym. It a little bit cramped and smelled a bit funny, but Akira appreciated the opportunity to release some energy and work his muscles. Then, it was back to the laundry and then to Ryo.

\--

He was pleased to find Ryo still sleeping peacefully when he returned, laying on his stomach with his back free of wings. Judging by the new location of the cigarette box on the nightstand, it looked like he even got up to smoke at some point while he was gone. 

Standing there with the basket of warm laundry, Akira was hit by a stroke of inspiration. He took one of the bath towels and draped it across Ryo's back, letting the warmth soothe the aching muscles there. 

Ryo, though asleep, responded with approval. His breath left him in a soft murmur and he seemed to nuzzle a bit into the pillow he had clutched to himself. Feeling his heart swell in his chest, Akira rubbed his hands together to warm them before slipping them underneath the towel so he could add a bit of massage to the already soothing heat.

With the first swirl of his thumbs, Ryo let out a soft, unguarded moan. _Lord, give me the strength not to fuck this man while he's still injured._

Before long, Ryo stirred. "Mn. Akira?"

"Yeah, it's just me." Akira leaned over to plant a kiss on the back of Ryo’s head. “Go back to sleep.”

Ryo looked back at him for a moment, his blue eyes shining, before closing them and relaxing into his partner’s hands.


	4. Chapter 4

Cuddling was a lot easier without having to wrestle with four giant wings. Akira was glad to finally be the big spoon again, and Ryo seemed appreciative as well, judging from the way he curled himself into Akira’s torso. It was their most comfortable night together since this all started. Every time Ryo twitched or sighed in his sleep, Akira found himself wondering if he was dealing with one of those strange dreams again, but he didn’t seem to be in too much distress, so Akira didn’t try to wake him. It was more important for him to get his rest than be woken every time Akira thought something might be wrong.

In the early morning, when the first few birds of the day began to sing and the sun peeked through the blinds, casting faint lines of gold throughout the motel room, Akira was woken when the mattress shifted underneath him. He could still feel Ryo’s warmth beside him, so he simply pulled himself a bit closer and nuzzled into his blonde hair. Ryo hummed a little, but didn’t stir.  
Akira enjoyed a few more moments of quiet before feeling Ryo move away from him and sit up. Considering how little Ryo’s been awake lately, hearing him move from the bed on his own was a bit odd. Akira fluttered his eyes open and murmured a sleepy “Mm?”

And, immediately, he was stunned to silence. Crouching over the bed was a demon over double his size. Its long, horse-like head had four spherical golden eyes that were trained on Ryo, pupils dilated with interest. In his pinchers he held Ryo’s left wrist and right shoulder, which he used to lift Ryo slightly off the mattress. Ryo, still asleep, slumped in its hands.

Upon noticing Akira move, those four eyes moved to him. The creature’s neck creaked as it turned its head slightly.

Chest pulsing with adrenaline, Akira reeled his fist back and landed it right into the cheek of the demon. It released Ryo from its grasp as it fell back, dropping Ryo onto the mattress with a thump.

Akira moved himself over Ryo, using the bulk of his own body as a shield, and quickly tried to summon Amon.

Nothing happened. 

The demon rubbed a pincher over its face, checking for injury.

Akira tried again to reach out to Amon, searching through the foggy panic in his mind for the power he needed. Still nothing. Even his wings wouldn’t obey him.

Those four golden eyes looked back to him with a fury.

“Ryo!” Akira yelled, shooting a hand behind him to grab Ryo’s shoulder and shake him roughly, “Ryo, we’ve got a problem, you gotta wake up--”

A heavy pincher swung into the side of Akira’s head, and he barely managed to raise a forearm in time to lessen the blow, but it was still enough to knock him clear off the bed. He went flying into the nightstand, knocking the lamp to the ground with a clash. Something sharp forced its way into the small of Akira’s back, and he hissed against the pressure.

The horse-like demon leaned again over the bed, placing its snout so close to Ryo’s face that it probably felt his breath tickle the hair there. Ryo, thankfully, had awoken, and was staring up at the demon with wide, panicked eyes, his mouth open but noiseless. His right hand patted around the mattress, searching for a gun.

All his guns were under the bed. There was no way he’d reach it in time.

The demon’s head ticked to the side like a confused dog as he observed Ryo. It was unlike any demon to hesitate like this during an attack, but Akira wasn’t about to wait for it to make its move. He forced himself to his feet as quickly as he could and was ready to throw himself at the demon, but not before Ryo could raise a palm in front of the golden eyes of the creature that stared at him.

Akira was lucky that he didn’t take another step, or else he would’ve been caught in the most impressive light beam he’s ever seen.

He had to shield his eyes from the brightness of it. Everything in the room was coated in white light until Akira couldn’t see anything around him, and it was followed by an enormous crash as it hit the opposite wall. Wind roared past his ears, temporarily deafening him. 

The light beam disappeared as quickly as it appeared, leaving complete devastation in its wake. The entire wall of the motel was taken down, and it's debris scattered across the road ahead of it. A nearby tree had also toppled and was dragged a significant distance away from its roots. Birds squawked and cried as they flew away. Burn marks and purple, demonic bloodsprays decorated the interior of the motel, ruining most of the carpet and ceiling. The rooms beside them were undoubtedly destroyed as well, or at least hit by debris. Akira prayed no one was spending the night there.

And there, still on the bed, was Ryo. He still had a hand extended towards the rubble, his eyes wide and terrified. His wings had summoned themselves from his back and were stiff with fear, but they had doubled in number. One new pair grew on his back, and another grew from his temple. Both new pairs were dripping with blood.

“Ryo…” Akira raised both hands in submission, certain that his Ryo was the one who used that massive light beam. The last thing he wanted to do was startle him and become his next target. “Ryo, you’re bleeding.”

Ryo blinked before finally turning his attention from the destruction he caused to Akira’s face. He looked… small. Disoriented. After a moment of looking at Akira, he huffed out the breath that he’s been holding and stood from the bed. His blood dripped down his shoulders and onto what remained of the carpet.

“Woah!” Akira yelled, moving toward Ryo with his hands still extended, meaning to catch him if he falls, “Woah, Ryo, you’re really hurt. You shouldn’t stand--You’re bleeding a lot--You’re--”  
Ryo looked at him again, his eyes calm.

“You’re… not Ryo, are you?”

Ryo, or whoever this was, looked down at his own body, seeming a bit confused at Akira’s conclusion. 

“Alright. That’s okay. Uh...” Akira kept his hands up as he spoke, “My name is Akira Fudo. I’m--”

“I know who you are, Akira.”

The voice that left Ryo’s mouth certainly seemed to belong to Ryo, but was somehow much more powerful and present. It filled Akira’s mind, drowning out the usual sounds of the morning. All white noise disappeared, and only the voice remained.

“Then,” Akira said, “Can you tell me who you are?”

More blood dripped to the ground, slowly forming a puddle at Ryo’s feet. The sight of bright, red blood dripping down those beautiful white wings was one sure to haunt him for quite some time. “No, I…” Ryo’s brow furrowed, looking frustrated, “I’m not sure I can.”

“That’s okay. You seem confused. Let’s figure this out together, alright?” Akira risked taking a step closer, and Ryo didn’t seem to mind. “You’re in the body of a man named Ryo Asuka. I think you entered him about three days ago, but you’ve been waking up really slowly.”

“That’s…” Ryo looked briefly at his own hands before his gaze darted back to Akira. Were his eyes a little brighter? “That’s not quite right.”

“I’m not lying to you.”

“You don’t mean to, no. That’s what you saw. But I think that-- maybe--” he looked to the ground, “maybe I’ve always been here.”

“Is that right?” Akira took one more step forward. If he reached out, he’d be able to touch Ryo’s body. “I believe what you’re feeling, but I don’t think that’s very likely. I’ve known Ryo since we were both little kids and he’s never acted this way before. I’m not sure what would make you think you’ve always been here.”

Ryo’s eyes traced over Akira’s body. “Interesting.”

“Look,” Akira said, “You’re really hurt. I know it doesn’t seem like much to you, but you’re in a human’s body right now, and it’s a lot more delicate than you’re used to. You just made a huge mess of this place and someone’s probably gonna call the cops soon. We gotta get out of here so I can heal you up--”

“Akira.”

“Huh?”

“I’m sorry. I suppose it’s my fault that Amon is being so disobedient. Here.” Ryo raised two fingers to Akira’s forehead, and Akira nearly recoiled from the touch before he felt a surge of blood through his entire body, as though his heart was suddenly beating twice as hard. Amon had returned.

Akira couldn’t help but stare. Whoever was standing before him could command Amon.

His shocked silence was interrupted by the blare of sirens nearby. “Shit, we really gotta bounce.” Akira grabbed his phone from the nightstand and stuffed it in the pocket of his sweatpants. His wings unfurled from his back, and he was grateful that they finally responded when he needed them. “Will you let me carry you?”

“I can use my own wings just fine.”

“I know you can, but they’re bleeding and I don’t think you should strain them. Human body, remember? I don’t want you to hurt Ryo.” 

Akira reached out and put his hands on his partner’s shoulders, waiting for permission to touch him further. He didn’t want to move too brashly and have to deal with another one of those light beams. Thankfully, Ryo responded well. He even moved closer and hooked an arm around the back of Akira’s neck so he could be easily hoisted into a bridal carry. With a single beat of his giant, black wings, Akira propelled them both into the air, leaving the remains of their motel room far beneath them.

“What about our stuff?” Ryo asked, raising his voice over the wind.

“Our stuff?”

“At the motel. My father’s money--”

Akira startled a bit. Did he just say ‘ _my_ father’s money'? Akira looked down at the small, pale, winged creature he held in his arms. Those blue eyes watched him with a sort of clever sharpness that seemed so much like the Ryo he knew, but they still shined too brightly to be human. But why would something that’s foreign in his body talk that way? 

“We’ll just go back later.” Akira answered, “We’ll say that we weren’t there when the wall blew up and we have no idea what happened. The police will hold onto our stuff.”

Ryo nodded, seeming to think that’s a reasonable plan.

\--

Their motel was pretty far from home, and Akira didn’t really want to take a bleeding, multi-winged, Ryo-looking creature to the Makimura’s house anyway. There was no way he could do that to them. Instead, he decided to just fly in a random direction and see if he could find a nice, quiet place for them to lay low for a while.

What he found was a beautiful creek deep in the woods that had some large stones for them to rest on. Akira landed gently. At some point during their flight, Ryo had rested his head on Akira’s chest and fell asleep, which Akira considered a blessing. With any luck, maybe his partner would be the one to wake and not the thing that hijacked his body. He also decided to ignore his phone, which rang about five times during their flight. It was undoubtedly Miki, who must’ve seen something on the news and got worried. He’d deal with that later. For now, he gave all of his attention to the thing sleeping in his arms.

Once landed on one of the riverside stones, Akira gently placed Ryo’s body down but kept his grip on his upper body. This way, he could hold Ryo in a reclined but seated position. Being manhandled caused Ryo to stir a bit. He woke slowly and scanned their new surroundings before looking to Akira with a bit of fondness. “I guess you found somewhere,” he said.

“I did.” Akira replied. “Can I ask who I’m talking to?”

Ryo blinked a few times. He took a few moments to answer, as though thinking it through. “It’s me, Akira. I’m Ryo.”

“Are you?”

“I am. That,” Ryo raised a hand to his own forehead and rubbed it, “was disorienting. So many thoughts were going through my mind at once. It was like I was dreaming, but everything was happening so fast and my waking body was still moving. I couldn’t tell what was me and what wasn’t.”

“So you think it’s just you, now?”

“I know this sounds impossible, but I think it was me the whole time, actually.”

Akira let his hands wander across Ryo’s body, exploring the bases of the new wings. They didn’t seem to be bleeding anymore, which was a blessing. They’d be hard to clean, but they could worry about that later. He also seemed to be a reasonable temperature for once. “That’s what you said earlier, too. That you’ve been here the whole time.”

“Right. I think... I think I was just confused.”

Akira gave a single nod. Merging with Amon was confusing, too, and Akira still sometimes had nightmares about Amon’s memories. But even with that confusion, it was pretty easy to tell what was Amon and what was Akira. Amon was thoughtless and animalistic. He was hungry. He was violent.

Akira grabbed ahold of Ryo’s chin and tilted it upwards, making sure that Ryo looked him in the eyes. Ryo obeyed, looking a bit startled by Akira’s sudden sternness. “Listen to me, okay?” He said, “No matter what, you’re Ryo Asuka. Understand? I still don’t know what’s going on, but whatever you’re feeling, it’s being felt by Ryo Asuka. You’re in control here. You chose what this body does. Is that clear?”

Ryo sighed. Akira saw a hesitation in his expression that he didn’t like. Hesitation didn’t help him get control over Amon. But he knew Ryo. He knew Ryo’s thoughtful yet decisive personality, and he knew that Ryo needed logic behind each move he made. And as he watched Ryo struggle through this, he saw a few familiar things. He saw a washed-up honor’s student applying his intellect. He saw a man who questioned everything, including the confident assertions of his best friend. 

He saw a boy who loved his father.

Ryo swallowed heavily. Squared his shoulders. Met Akira’s eyes.

“Clear as day,” he said.


End file.
